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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Meat in the Compost

Wood chips are a good balancer for the compost

This is a question that is frequently asked by new gardeners, What can and Can't I put in the Composter?

The standard answer is that any fruit and veg matter, nothings cooked, no meats, no dairy. Now, there are reasons for this, and it has nothing to do with the fact that meats and dairy will break down and add just as much nutrients to your soil. It has everything to do with rats.

If you live in the city, or even a semi-urban area attracting rodents to your compost is going to cause serious issues with your neighbours. It's not just rats, but skunks, raccoons, even foxes depending on where you live.

I have continued this thinking into my country compost and this morning after reflecting on another one of the red-stars I buried yesterday (dropped dead over night), well that's meat, all I do is bury it in the compost.

And the same thing is true of a city compost. Dairy and meats breaking down do make the compost a bit smelly, but if you can get it far enough away from anyone, or balance it properly so you're not adding tons of that in there, there is no reason you can't put it in your home compost. If possible the best option is to be burying it in the middle of your compost while you add it.

I have the benefit of having lots of stinky half decomposed hay and shavings and lots of manure to cover up my little fox treasures, but I have found I only need to get down about a foot or two into the compost to keep any scavengers away.

Of course, my favourite solution, to what to do with table scraps, is just to get some adorable pot belly pigs!